New Look, Better Great Taste!
Doña Emilia's outgrew itself on East Seventh. It's outdoing itself on Cesar Chavez.
By Claudia Alarcón, Fri., July 16, 2004
Doña Emilia's
101 San Jacinto, 478-2520
Monday-Thursday, 11am-2:30pm, 5-10pm; Friday-Saturday, 11am-11pm; Sunday, noon-6pm
Happy Hour: daily, 5-7pm
Human beings are creatures of habit, and as such we are generally afraid of change. Sometimes this is with good reason, because some changes are not necessarily for the better. So, as a fan of the little neighborhood eatery on East Seventh, I was terrified when I heard Doña Emilia's was moving to a bigger location on Cesar Chavez. Chef Emilia Hurtado and Ruben Cuero, her son and manager of the restaurant, had acquired new business partners and would be bringing in chef Juan Pablo Sarmiento to revamp the menu with New Latin offerings to complement their traditional regional cooking. The new Doña Emilia's finally opened in March, and, after giving them a few months to iron out the details, I was ready to face the changes.
The first thing one notices at the new Doña Emilia's is the amazing renovation of the building. They managed to turn an empty, drab former office site into a vibrant, sunny, comfortable space with tile floors, bright colored walls, and comfortable seating. The outdoor patio is nicely shaded, and the sound of the water feature adds a nice relaxing feel. On my first visit, I met some friends for happy-hour cocktails. The downstairs bar is too small for hanging out, but perfect for having a cocktail while waiting on friends to arrive, since it's located right by the door. Once they show up, it's best to go to the ample upstairs bar, the Atrium Lounge, which is surrounded by windows and gives the pleasant impression of being in a huge tropical tree house. It is a fun place to meet for drink specials and half-price appetizers during happy hour; on weekends, there's live music and dancing later in the evening. Lucky for me, they also show international soccer on the big screen on occasion.
Their signature tropical fruit juices make an excellent mixer for their "well" vodka, which, happily, happens to be Tito's. After numerous experiments, I find the maracuyá (passion fruit) to be the best, but the final verdict is not yet in, since I still have a few to try out. Every cocktail that I've had at Doña Emilia's has been expertly prepared and served with a big South American smile. The Mojito ($6) may be a little sweet for my taste, but the house frozen margarita is perfect, and the Caipirinha ($6) is the best I've had other than the ones prepared by my Brazilian friends. Aside from their excellent cocktails, they feature South American and Mexican beers, a good selection of tequilas, including tequila flights, and a carefully selected wine list with an impressive selection of South American wines. To my delight, they offer at least four Texas wines by the glass or bottle.
As a dining establishment, Doña Emilia's is superb. I have had nothing but the best service and food on all my visits. The portions are generous, the service is impeccable, and the flavors exciting. The menu is varied and offers something for everyone, including plenty of vegetarian options. The entrées are divided into traditional – featuring many favorites from the original East Seventh menu – and New Latin. As it turns out, chef Sarmiento left in May under a mutual agreement with Doña Emilia's new team, so the kitchen is back in the expert hands of Doña Emilia Hurtado herself.
All of the appetizers I have tried have been delicious. The Ceviche del Día ($10.95) varies according to available ingredients. On the day of our visit, it was shrimp in a very mild escabeche, with thin slices of red onions, served with crispy fried plantain chips. My only complaint was that the shrimp was precooked rather than "cooked" in the marinade, as a proper ceviche should be. But perhaps this is due to Health Department regulations. It was refreshing and tasty nonetheless.
The Filetes de Atún ($9.95) were slices of perfectly seared tuna, served on field greens, with a creamy tarragon aioli. The Empanadas ($4.95) came two to an order, and both the chicken and beef-and-potato fillings were excellent inside the crispy fried corn masa shells. On the more unique side, the Patacones Rellenos ($4.95), fried green plantain cups filled with seasoned beef and topped with melted mozzarella, were a singular delight. The same can be said of the Queso de Cabra ($6.95), generous dollops of goat cheese served with a sweet panela (unrefined sugarcane) sauce and wedges of arepa (corn griddle cake) for dipping. The earthy sweetness of the panela was perfect for the tangy creaminess of the goat cheese.
But perhaps my favorite appetizer is the Picada ($9.95), a basket full of crispy meat morsels, including grilled beef, chicken, chorizo, and meaty Colombian-style chicharrón, with tiny Andean potatoes and crunchy slices of plantain, served with lime wedges and a trio of unbelievably great salsas. The "mojito" chimichurri, a wonderful blend of olive oil, lime juice, parsley, and mint, was perfect with the beef. The salsa at Doña Emilia's, packed with habanero flavor with just the right touch of heat, is probably the best habanero salsa I've ever had. The salsa arriera, with tomatoes and serranos, was the hottest of the three. But it was the crispy chicharrones that captured my taste buds. I just couldn't get enough.
The entrées are equally captivating. The traditional entrées that migrated from the former Doña Emilia's menu are just as good as ever, perhaps even better. I was shocked at the price hike of the banana leaf-wrapped Tamal Mixto ($11.95), but when it came to the table, I saw that it was even bigger than the already huge previous version, and the moist and rich masa was stuffed full of chicken, pork, potatoes, and peas. I could not have finished it alone. The classic Arroz con Pollo ($8.95), a satisfying dish of saffron rice with shredded chicken, peas, carrots, and green beans, is served in the traditional Colombian style, shaped in a mold timbale-style and drizzled with ketchup. The Pescado a lo Macho ($13.95) was a tasty seafood entrée of tilapia fillet smothered in a creamy tomato-based seafood ragout with lots of shrimp and squid slices. I was very happy to see that the Ajiaco ($7.95), the marvelous chicken and potato soup from Bogotá, has made it back to the menu.
The New Latin entrées shone in their own right, especially the Churrasco ($19.95). The thin beef tenderloin steak was grilled to a perfect medium rare and served with the traditional chimichurri sauce. It was juicy and tender and had a deliciously beefy flavor. Its pork tenderloin counterpart, Lomo de Cerdo a la Parrilla ($16.95) was equally succulent and a favorite at the table, complemented perfectly by the flavor of fresh mint in the chimichurri. All New Latin entrées are served with sautéed fresh vegetables, fried sweet plantain slices, and boiled yuca. The yuca was an absolute taste revelation. It was soft yet firm, with a delicate consistency and a subtle flavor, served smothered with sautéed onions and herbs. A side order of fried yuca disappeared from the table faster than it came. The Pechuga con Hoja Santa ($13.95), served with kiwi pico de gallo, sounded enticing. I am a big fan of hoja santa, a Mexican herb with a distinct anise taste, but unfortunately they were out. I have something to look forward to discovering on my next visit.
Desserts at Doña Emilia's are a must, even though the ample portions of the entrées may tell your stomach otherwise. Although I have tired of tres leches cake since it appears on restaurant menus all over Austin, theirs ($4.95) is the best I have tried this side of Mexico City, served over a tangy, fresh strawberry sauce that counteracts the sweetness of the cake beautifully. I thought the Maduros Flambeados ($6.95), sweet plantains and strawberries flambéed with Myers rum and brown sugar and served with pistachio ice cream, were even better. However, I think some plain Mexican vanilla ice cream would be just fine. The pistachio flavor gets lost in the sweetness of the sauce.
Overall, the new Doña Emilia's is impressive in every sense. I am pleased to see that the changes they made were definitely for the better. After all, change can be good when done properly, professionally, and with lots of care. 
